This article discusses recent research documenting the positive impact social connections have for patients following surgery:
"Our hope is to try to put a spotlight on this for surgeons," Dr. Daniel B. Hinshaw told Reuters Health. The findings make it clear, he explained, that surgeons should ask patients about their level of social support, and anticipate that people with less support may fare worse."
The study found that people with more social connections had less anxiety and pain following surgery, less depression five days out, and required less pain medication. They also needed less time in the hospital. Other issues and ramifications were also reviewed.
What appears important from this article is that it is important to have the social relationships in place prior to needing surgery. Obviously, I link to studies like this because I so firmly believe in the importance of social capital, and I think that this is, in many ways, the future of efforts to treat all sorts of problems on both an individual and societal level. Hopefully, psychologists will take the lead in this effort.
This article discusses recent research documenting the positive impact social connections have for patients following surgery:
"Our hope is to try to put a spotlight on this for surgeons," Dr. Daniel B. Hinshaw told Reuters Health. The findings make it clear, he explained, that surgeons should ask patients about their level of social support, and anticipate that people with less support may fare worse."
The study found that people with more social connections had less anxiety and pain following surgery, less depression five days out, and required less pain medication. They also needed less time in the hospital. Other issues and ramifications were also reviewed.
What appears important from this article is that it is important to have the social relationships in place prior to needing surgery. Obviously, I link to studies like this because I so firmly believe in the importance of social capital, and I think that this is, in many ways, the future of efforts to treat all sorts of problems on both an individual and societal level. Hopefully, psychologists will take the lead in this effort.